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IpS 3537 

.T242 
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1919 

Copy 1 



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lit/ Artluiv V. Sliirk 



Contents 

^^>- Page 

Q The Girl In Calico 3.4 

-— Hope , 4 

A Bird Of Nature 5 

i Nature's God (i.7 

A Friend 7 

's;;^ Dawn ^ 

^ You Came 8 

Fancy 9 

Care 9 

Star Of Hope 10 

Memories Of Home And You 11 

The Welcome Home Song 12-13 

In the Valley Of Dreamland 13 

If I Were A Rose In Your Garden 14 

Just A Thought 15 



Copyright 1919 by Arthur V. Stark 
Liberal, Kansas 



MAR .<5 1919 



S)CI.A5i;{780 



^^^ \ 



The Girl in Calico 

Tlumgli my weary feet have wondered 

Over land and sea. 
There's a place in Indiana 

Where my heart still longs to he. 
Just a cottage 'neath the maples. 

And a mother old and gray. 
Whose longing heart has followed 

Where e'er I chance to stray. 

It's just a cosy cottage 

'Neath the shady mai)le trees. 
And the orchard and the meadow 

Ever wavin' in the hrecze. 
And the gcape vines on the arhor, 

That's not all there for show. 
And underneath their shadow 

Is a girl in calico. 

If I ever get the money 

To do just what I please, 
I'll go back to that old cottage. 

And I'd get dow^i on my knees 
To those scenes, if I could see 'em 

Just as they used to he. 
With the mockin'-hird a singin' 

On that bloomin" cherry trei'. 

And though I'm far removed 

From the scenes in fancy real, 
I almost stop to listen 

To that mockin'-bird's trill. 
And I hear the leaves a-wavin' 

In those maples to and fro. 
And my fancy turns to wishes 

For the «irl in calico. 



And so most ovcrybody 

Has a picture of his own. 
Of a place somewhere a'nuther 

That he used to call his homc- 
Of woodland or of meadow. 

In the valley or on the hill. 
With the mockin'-hird a singin' 

Or with the eliekin* of the null. 

lUit ril waiter cvny fcllei- 

'At's got a heart in Ms breast. 
No matter where 'e"s roaniin" 

In the east or in the west. 
Has sonielhin' of a picture. 

Though it's many years ago. 
That comes back to his memory 

Of the girl in calico. 



—.4. V..S', 



Hope 

When in youth the morn is shining. 
And the tlowers of life seem fair. 

And the heart is fondly yearning 

Flowers of hope are blooming there. 

When in mid-life noonday shining. 
Though our life be filled with care. 

Yet the heart forlorn still jjining; 

Yes. there Hope still lingers there. 

When at eve the darkness gatiiers. 
And the life comes near the close. 

Still there's ii<)|)e that over yondei' 
For the soid a sweet repose. 

A. V.S. 



A Bird of Nature 

Oh, if I were a bird it seems 

I'd batiie in running, babbling streams, 

Then fly high in the balmy air 

And bathe in sun-light warm and fjur. 

I'd play among the branches, too. 
Of leafy trees in spring anew, 
I'd fly beneath the shady bowers 
And snift' the ])erfume of the flowers. 

I'd wing among the pastures green. 
Where little lamb-kins may be seen. 
And in the clover fields of May 
I'd chirp and twitter all the day. 

To orchard lands I then would fly. 
And golden-haired children spy. 
And mid their laghter. joy, and glee 
I'd sing a .song ui) in the tree. 

Garden, too, where berries grow, 
I'd chir]) and twitter to and fro. 
And in the arbors I would sing. 
Swinging in the gra])(> vine swing. 

Then to the shady lane I'd go. 
Where lovers wander to and fro. 
And sing to them of love's sweet tune, 
Of wedding bells that ring in June. 

I'd wing o'er moimtain. ])lain. and sea. 
In this old world so big and free, 
And tell of Nature's God so fair. 
Of wondrous beauty everywhere. 

5 



Nature's God 

As strolling a-down life's weary way 
Lightly thinking of the day 
And of the SVe^jMcd things of life 
Amid the turmoils and the strife; 
And strolling in the shady bowers 
We note the j)erfume of the tlowers. 
Flowers, yes, of every hue — 
Of white and yellow, pink and blue. 
And all the other shades that's known. 
And each a perfume of its own. 
And while we thing how this can be 
We note the beauty of the tree. 
These, too, are different and strange. 
How their leaves are ever changed 
From green to yellow, pink and gold. 
And all their colors can ne'er ve told. 
And when we walk in meadows new 
We note the wondrous beauties, too. 
Of grasses there of different shades 
In woodland, meadow and in glades. 
And wandering on and on until 
We behold the beuty of the hills. 
And there the little brokk between 
Ever babbling, glistening little stream 
That leaps and bounds and seems to i)lay 
Hapjiily a-down the stony way. 

Then fields of waving corn are seen. 
And meadows wide and pastures green. 
And fields and fields of waving grain. 
And all of these are one great sj)an 
Of w^ondrous beauty. Oh, mind of man. 
Canst thou behold how great and grand 
These things can be? 



6 



We travel on to mountain liigh. 

Their peaks seem reaching to the sky, 

And looking downward to their feet — 

Their gorges are so very deep 

We can not see with naked eye 

And pass mysterious wonders by; 

We find the rivers at your feet 

With beautiful waters that run and meet. 

And on and on they foam and twirl 

Until the3''re lost in the ocean's whirl. 

Oh, mountain, river, plain and. sea 
W^onderful! Mind cannot fathom thee. 
Oh, sun and moon and stars and sky, 
What of the ymtseries that in the lie? 

Oh, mind of man, wilt thou behold 
The wonders that are yet untold. 
And try once more if thou can't see 
How great a Nature's God must be. 

.4.V..S. 



A Friend 

Friendshij) does not depend 

On smiles and kisses all logellur. 
A friend is one you need 

Wlien dark and gloomy the weather 
One who will help you through 

When the clouds of life hang dark, 
When life's ocean of water is trou!)led. 

Will hell) ^'<'i' *<* *'*>^^' your bark. 



Dawn 

Dawn of diiy willi sim and tlowrrs. 
With singing birds and shady bowers; 
Oh, what hope does morn suggest? 
A worhl of tlaniing h)veliness. 

Little babe with skin so fair. 
With pretty eyes and curly hair; 
With joy thy way seems ever blessed. 
Resting on Ihy mother's breast. 

Dawn of youth with hoi)e so fair. 
What is thy joy that lingers there? 
A dream of Iiopc thy Hfi- lo hh-ss. 
The ho|)c- of a licarl wilhiii Ihy bicasl. 

A.V.S. 



You Came 

You came when the day was done. 
When the w(>ary toil was o'er. 

And you bore my sorrows, one by one. 
Till the clouds were dark no more. 

You came as an .Viigd of W-ucc. 

•hist lo ligjil my darkened wav. 
And my soul felt a sweet release 

When you came at close of day. 

You came and (he darkness lied. 

You came and the clouds were gone. 

And the toils of day seemed only play 
When you came at the evensong. 

- .4. V.S. 



8 



Fancy 

I slept iuul dreamt that I was a rose 

In your wonderful garden of flowers. 
And I was your choice as you came to stroll 

In the beautiful shady bowers. 
You plucked me and fondly caressed me 

rill my world was a heaven of bliss. 
And I gave forth my fragrance to bless thee. 

And my soul was bathed in thy kiss. 

You folded me close to your bosom. 

And your breath seemed as dew of the morn, 
Your smile seemed as sunshine upon me. 

And your eyes with love-light were waim 
I awoke from my dream and in fancy — 

Could it, oh, could it be true? 
Gladly Fd live the life of a rose 

('ould I live it only for you. 

Only a rose in your garden, 

rose of your choice to be; 
Only the life of a blossom 
Could I live it all for thee! 

- A.V.S. 



Care 

Dawn of day, what wouldst Ihoii be 
Did not the sun sliine on thee? 

Li I tie ))abe, wli;il woiddst thou be 
Did not thy mother care for thee? 

Life of Man, what wouldst thou be 
Did not thy God breathe on thee? 

—A.V.S. 



star of Hope 

I sat in the evening at twilight. 

As the sun sank in the West, 
And I thought of how many hrave sohtiers 

Had gone to their hist long rest; 
And my heart sank within me 

As 1 lought of mothers and wives. 
Who, although not fighting with swords. 

Were loyally giving their lives. 

For a life with the joy all taken 

Is as day that is gone too soon. 
Or as a withered hlossom 

That has lost its shapely hloom; 
And thi' brave hearts who have followed 

Their loved ones over Iheri- 
Are left on the field of battle. 

Wounded with sorrow and desi)air. 

And I thought of widows and orphans. 

And how cheerless this world would he 
Without those brave hearts whoM gom- 

To tight across the sea. 
But as I sat in the night time 

I beheld in the east a stai-. 
And I thought of how the wisi' men 

Had followed it afar. 

Yes, this is our hope of life 

Our hope of victory 
For those who fall in life's battles 

May win in Kternity. 

.l.\'. .V. 



10 



Memories of Home and You 

In the evening, when the shades of night are failing. 

And all Nature, and the birds have gone to rest. 
It is then I seem to hear your sweet voice calling — 

Oh, come back and stroll mid scenes we love the 
best; 
Come again mid the the i)erfume of the flowers, 

^^'here the calm breezes murmur soft and low; 
Come again 'neath the moonlit shady bowers, 

P)ack to scenes that we loved so long ago. 

Oh, the cottage on the hill. 

Oh, the clicking of the mill. 
In my fancy I can see them day by day; 

And some day I'm going home; 

(loing back, no more to roam; 
From the scenes of childhood never more i'il :;tray. 

Oh, those scenes so dear live only in oiu" memos y; 

We can never bring those bright days back agdiii, 
\\'here the soft breezes whisper in the valley. 

And the night bird ever sings its sad refrain. 
It was ther — and the old mill-wheel was lurning 

That we told our love, so tender and so Uue; 
And 'tis there that my heart is ever yearning 

To come back to that dear old home and you. 

—A.V.S. 



11 



The Welcome-Home Song 

We've spent a time in weepini* 

When our Laddies hatl to ^o. 
And Uncle Sam was speeding them 

Across the sea, you know. 
Hut now that war is over 
All our weeping's turned to joy, 
To welcome home again our Laddie Boys. 

Welcome home. Laddie I5oy- 
Welcome home. Laddie Hoy! 

That's the song they're singing 
Over land, on ship ahoy. 

And no matter where wou're roaming. 

That's tile song of joy 

Welcome home, welcome home, Laddi( 
Hoy ! 

We did our hest to cheer you 

In the trenches over there; 
Our hands were ever busy 

And our hearts went u|) in prayer. 
And though the darkness gathered. 
Yet our hearts ne'er ceased to yearn. 
And now we sing the song of your leluru. 

I met a bonnie lassie 

And her cheeks were all aglow, 
Annd 1 asked her where she's goin' 

On her journey, don't you know; 
And blushin'ly she told me. 
And her heart was tilled with joy - 
She was goin' to welcome home her Laddie Hoy 



12 



And most everybody now-a-days 

In this old U. S. A. 
Has some one in the service 

Who is worthy of their praise; 
And most anywliere you wander 
They will tell their tale of joy— 
Oh, how they'll welcome home their La(hUe Hoy 

^A.V.S. 



In the Valley of Dream Land 

In a pleasant valley of long ago 
Lived a little maiden whom I chanced to know. 
Fair as the blooming flowers that in her garden grew, 
Blue were her eyes that sparkled as the morning dew. 

In the valley of Dreamland 

I can see her smile. 
Fair as the daisies blooming, 

Pure as the noon-day sky. 
Though we are parted forever. 

In my dreams I see 
Her sweet face awaiting 

In Heavenly dream-land for me. 

In that sunshine valley that we learned to love. 
Where we strolled together 'neath the slars aljove; 
We would part — no, never while this life should !)e; 
But she sleeps in the valley where she is dreaming 
of me. 

.-LV..S'. 



13 



If I Were a Rose in Your Garden 

If I were a rose in your garden. 

In your wonderful garden so fair, 
I'd long for loving caresses, 

I'd envy all flowers every v^^here; 
I'd bloom for you all day long, dear; 

My frgrance I'd give you, too. 
And when in the night-time reposing. 

This would ever be my wish for you — 

lieautiful dreams ever rest three. 
Moon-light and star-light caress Ihee, 
Angels of Heaven watch over, 
(luard thee and keej) thee forever, 
And in the morning-light breaking. 
When from your sweet dreams awaking, 
Then will you look from your window 
On your rose- ever bloom for you. 

And when in nthe blush of the morning 

You come to your garden so fair, 
I'd call the sweet breath of the breezes 

To waft on the soft balmy air; 
I'd beckon the song birds to greet you. 

The sun to i)our down its ray. 
And ask all of nature to bless you 

From morning till the close of day. 

-.A. V..S'. 



14 



Just a Thougrht 

A little bird in this big wide world 

Said, "How tiny I seem to be." 
Yet he sang his sweet song the whole day long 

For the traveler and you and me; 
Nor worried he from his perch in the tree; 

He ever was blithesome and gay, 
His life, though short, was the cheery sort— 

Oil, why can't we be that way? 

A little tlower in this world of ours 

Said, "I'm not as big as the tree." 
Yet it spread its perfumes amid the bowers 

For the traveler and you and me. 
And was always so bright from morning till night 

With never a worry nor care. 
But bloomed away all the live-long day. 

Others wearysome sorrows to share. 

Oh, traveler, a lesson take 

From the little bird and the tlower; 
Just stop awhile on your weary mile. 

Just ponder, say, for an hour. 
Of what God has done to brighten your way 

As you linger here below 
And strive to sing a cheery song 

As through this life you go. 

—A.V.S. 



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pH 8.5 



